WHITE SEA-BIRDS. 269 



natural dart, with long, pointed, spear-like bill ; flat- 

 crowned, and fashioned with low, smooth curves, 

 short legs, and elongated extremities ; and as one 

 watches the bird flitting measuredly a few yards above 

 the surface of the water, and sees it gather itself up 

 suddenly and shoot like a bolt head foremost into the 

 sea, one wonders if the dart-like Tern came to dive 

 because so well fashioned to dive, or if by diving it 

 has become so modified in form as to enter the water 

 with the minimum of resistance. Its cry is a shrill, 

 wavering screech, ear-splitting when a nesting colony 

 is invaded, or when a throng of excited Terns are 

 woi"king over a shoal of fish. 



ARCTIC TERN — 14^ inches ; under parts pearl-gray ; no 

 dark tip to bill, which is blood-red throughout. 



ROSEATE TERN— 15J inches; nnder parts tinged with 

 rose ; bill black, orange at base ; legs vermilion. 



SANDWICH TERN— 16 inches ; bill and feet black. 



LITTLE TERN— 8i inches. By much the smallest of our 

 Terns ; bill yellow ; legs and feet bright orange. 



All have the black cap, the gray upper and the more 

 or less white under plumage, of Terns. 



ARCTIC TERN. — Form, like Common Tern 

 (plate 114). 14^ inches. Head capped with black; 

 upper plumage pearl-gray, becoming white on rump 

 and tail ; under parts pale pearl-gray ; bill blood- 

 red throughout ; legs and feet coral-red. Summer 

 migrant. 



Eggs. — 3 or 2, bufEsh or greenish-gray, lightly 

 spotted with dark brown and gray; 1*6 >< 1"25 inch 

 (plate 134). 



